NFTE Ireland's' mission is to provide entrepreneurship education to young people from low-income communities, and is an off-shoot of the US NFTE model.

Over 600 students were honoured for their participation in the NFTE Entrepreneurship Education Programme this year and I can tell you the noise and atmosphere was crazy!

Guest presenters included Robert Fitzpatrick, CEO of The Odyssey Trust, Andrew Fordham, Head of Business Marketing from Bank of Ireland, Liavan Malin and Jack MacGowan from the NFTE Ireland Board, Linda Keating, Director, The Marie Keating Foundation, Sean Campbell, CEO of Foróige and our very own Ferdinand Von Prondzynski, President of DCU.

The highlight was probably Bobby Kerr, CEO of Insomnia and famous for the Dragons Den, who was the keynote speaker on the day and presented the overall Youth Entrepreneur of the year Award.

In Ireland NFTE was developed originally by Liavan Mallin, a DCU graduate and entrepreneur, and it has been established as an all island initiative, following a successful pilot scheme in Colaiste Dhulaigh.